Covid-19 cases continue to rise in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: As many as 303 new coronavirus cases were reported in country over the last 24 hours, according to the daily update of the National Institute of Health, Islamabad (NIH).

According to NIH, the new infections were detected after 13,941 coronavirus diagnostic tests performed across the country, which placed Pakistan’s positivity ratio at 2.22% and the overall case count at 1,533,047.

The Covid-19 death toll in Pakistan stands at 30,385, said NIH, adding that the country have presently overall 3,978 active cases of the pandemic.

The National Institute of Health earlier shared that the cases count has increased across the country, particularly in Karachi and Hyderabad.

The positivity rate in Sindh climbed to 6.1%,  with a 15.85% positivity in Karachi alone.

In May, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif

restored National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC), an umbrella body that led Pakistan’s fight against the coronavirus pandemic.

The step was taken after emergence of a new sub-variant of Omicron strain of coronavirus, in the country.

Pakistan on May 9 reported the country’s first case of Omicron sub-variant BA.2.12.1.

The national health officials have recently confirmed emergence of another coronavirus sub-variant B.4,B.5 in the country.

According to the National Institute of Health (NIH) sources the cases of B.4,B.5, a sub-varianat Omicron strain of coronavirus, are regularly being reported in country.

The new variant rapidly spread but has not been more lethal, sources said.

NIH sources have informed that all Covid-19 vaccines are effective against Covid-19 sub-variant B.4,B.5.